Twilight recital offers rare opportunity

Audiences are guaranteed to get goose bumps when the extraordinarily beautiful love songs of Hugo Wolf are performed by three of Australia's leading musical artists at the West-Star Motors Twilight Recital on Wednesday, 28 June.

Internationally recognised Lyric Soprano Margaret Schindler, Tenor Gregory Massingham and Pianist Stephen Emmerson will combine their talents to bring the works of the Austrian composer's Italian Lieder Book to life in the University of Southern Queensland's (USQ) Arts Theatre from 6pm – 7pm.

Described as one of the greatest masters of the German romantic lied, Wolf's refractory temperament, extremes of mood and his innate dramatic and poetic sensibilities has earned him the title of the greatest lieder composer since Schubert.

Considered to be a master of concentration, Wolf referred to his songs, not as Lied, but as ‘poems for voice and piano'; miniature masterpieces composed using the symphonic principles of his idols, Wagner, Liszt and Bruckner.

Seldom more than a page or two long, the love songs of the Italian Lieder Book distil the essence of each poem into music of exceptional beauty.

Wolf combines expressive techniques in the piano part with an independent vocal line, and using an array of rhythmic and harmonic devices to depict textual imagery, illustrates mood and creates musical structure.

He is seemingly able to compress large-scale forms, ideas and emotions into the lyric frame, distilling the grandness of his admired masters through the enchantment of song.

The poems are nearly all love songs but imbued with such a variety of intensity and humour, that never is there a sense of duplication.

Audience members will have the opportunity to ‘Meet-the-Artists' in the Arts Gallery after the concert and light refreshments will also be served.

Tickets for this rare opportunity cost $13.50 Adult, $11 Concession and $5.50 Child.  To make a booking or for further enquiries contact the USQ Performance Centre Box Office on 4631 1111.

Media Contact: Fiona Taylor, USQ Media, +61 7 3470 4117 or +61 423 808 462